The invention relates to a clutch (also called connecting clutch or E-clutch) for a hybrid drive train of a motor vehicle, such as a car, truck, bus, or an agricultural utility vehicle, comprising a first connection part, that can be connected in a rotationally fixed fashion to an output shaft/crankshaft of an internal combustion engine, such as a gasoline or diesel motor, and a second connection part, that can be connected in a rotationally fixed fashion to a shaft (transmission input shaft) of a transmission and/or a rotor (preferably in the form of a rotor shaft) of an electric drive engine, which connection parts in the closed state of the clutch are connected to each other in a torque-transmitting fashion, while in the open state of the clutch they are arranged in reference to each other such that they interrupt the flow of torque (i.e. arranged such that no torque is transmitted), and comprise a clutch actuating system, having a ramp mechanism and switching the clutch between the open and the closed position, with the ramp mechanism being effectively connected via a planetary gearing to the connection parts.
The invention therefore relates to a hybrid clutch/clutch for a hybrid drive train, comprising a shaft which cooperates with an electric drive engine depending on the intended type of drive and which is driven thereby and is connected to an internal combustion engine either simultaneously or at a different point of time, and is driven thereby.
A generic device of prior art is known from DE 10 2012 222 110 A1, comprising a clutch device with an actuating device for a drive train of a motor vehicle. In this context the drive train comprises an internal combustion engine and an electric machine with a stator and a rotor as well as a transmission device, with the clutch device being arranged in the drive train between the internal combustion engine on the one side and the electric machine and the transmission device on the other side. The clutch device and the actuating device are integrated in the rotor of the electric machine.
With these embodiments known from prior art it has shown, however, that the individual connection parts as well as the ramp mechanism acting upon them can be stressed in reference to each other during the closing process of the clutch under certain circumstances such that the clutch can only be opened with a torque that exceeds the torque previously used to close the clutch. In these cases the clutch initially closes by the torque issued by the output shaft of the internal combustion engine and is stressed thereby. Based on the given elasticity in the system, particularly in the ramp system of the clutch actuating system and the friction linings of the clutch, the stressing force is relatively strong. If then the torque at the output is reduced again with the clutch being closed and/or even an inversion of the direction of torque/inversion of the direction of momentum is affected (e.g., in case of change from tension to pressure) the clutch remains in its stressed condition until the torque in the inverse direction exceeds the torque with which the clutch had been closed before. Thus, for opening such clutches of prior art usually relatively strong opening torque needs to be applied, disadvantageously influencing the effectiveness of the clutch system.